Download Phrases and Clauses Notes

Grammar – Phrases and Clauses
A VERBAL PHRASE is a form of a verb that is used as a noun, adjective or adverb.
Phrase
PREPOSITIONAL
PARTICIPIAL
GERUND
INFINITIVE
Definition
A group of words consisting of
a preposition and a noun or a
pronoun (object of the
preposition)
Verb form ending in –ing
(present tense)
or –ed (past tense)
Verb form ending in –ing
Verb beginning with to
Usage
Prepositional phrases can
function as adjectives or as
adverbs.
Used as an adjective
(describes a noun or pronoun).
Used as a noun
(subject, predicate
nominative, direct object or
object of a prepositional
phrase).
Used as a noun, adjective or
adverb.
The brick house with the
green shutters is grandma’s
house.
Sally got a new swimming cap.
Swimming is fun.
We plan to swim.
The building, destroyed by a
fire, was never rebuilt.
The police arrested him for
destroying the building.
The criminal wanted to
destroy the evidence.
Know your prepositions.
Part with it; not needed to
make a complete sentence.
Group of words doing the job
of a noun
To + verb
Know your prepositions.
The perfect tense of a
participle is formed with a past
participle and the helping verb
having (e.g. Having studied
all day, Jessica was ready).
May have a possessive form.
(Sally’s swimming is good.)
May have a subject.
(She wanted Sally to swim.)
Example
Behind it are a vegetable
garden and berry bush.
Tricks
Other
Information
Clause
Dependent vs. Independent
Adverb
Definition
A dependent clause contains
and subject and a verb but
cannot stand on its own.
An independent clause can
stand on its own.
Contain a subject and verb and
act as an adverb
Dependent Clause
Although I am an avid reader
Example
Independent Clause
I am an avid reader.
Tricks
Usage
Know your subordinating
conjunctions and your
relative pronouns.
Independent clauses are simple
sentences. Dependent clauses
may act as adverbs, adjectives
or nouns.
Adjective
Noun
Follows the noun it modifies.
What could be a whole
sentence acts as a single part of
speech.
After we won the game, we
went out for ice-cream.
We studied for the test
because we knew it was
important.
Begin with a subordinating
conjunction.
Adverbs answer:
When? Where? Why? How?
Used as an adverb
Whoever started that fire is
going to be in a lot of trouble.
The girl who sits next to me is
really funny.
The letter will go to whichever
person lives there at the
moment.
Begins with a relative
pronoun. Can be eliminated
while leaving a complete
sentence.
Begins with a relative
pronoun. Cannot be
eliminated while leaving a
complete sentence.
Used as an adjective.
Used as a noun
(subject, predicate
nominative, direct object or
object of a prepositional
phrase).